Seasonal Reunion
by Tomoe Mami
Summary: "It's not often that a Magus and a Titan become friends." But there was just something about Silver that made Alain unable to turn away and so that friendship began. Side-story drabble collection to Origin of Harmony. Credit goes to remi for the summary.
1. Spring

After that Summer in which they initially met in Kalos, it was Spring in Kanto before they saw each other again. Five years had passed and both boys were now trainers, with Silver aged ten and Alain aged eleven and a half.

Silver revealed he'd passed Oak's trainer exam. On a day like this with the sky so blue, Silver suggested they get started on the adventure together. Alain merely smiled and agreed, though he admitted he felt out of his depth, lost per se, in an unfamiliar region. Silver wasn't worried; he would explain Kanto's landmarks to him.

It was midday before Silver and Alain finally left Pallet Town, meandering onto the grassy plains of Route One. The boys had come prepared, with Pokédexes, Poké Balls, their starters… and even packed lunches that Silver's auntie, Rosalie, had made for them. Of course, Silver remembered to thank her for her hard work.

They bonded more with their own Pokémon, playing with them and even their wild fellows. The Pidgey and Rattata were awed by the two boys: two completely different Tamer classes, who had chosen to put the ancient quarrels of their lineages aside. These two were genuine friends.

Ever so slowly, the sun crept closer to the horizon and the wild Pokémon retreated to sleep for the night. Silver and Alain set up their own sleeping bags and wriggled into them after eating dinner.

A giant shape shot through the sky, burning brightly. More followed.

"Look, Alain! Meteors!"

The boys watched as multiple meteors blazed in the night sky like there was a red inferno up there. The meteor shower eventually passed and the friends, who had kept in contact over the years, felt their eyes closing.

Silver sighed quietly, knowing this was the best adventure he'd have.

* * *

 **A/N** : Through a recommendation from a friend, I'd advise listening to Broken Wings by Flyleaf to get an idea of how much this friendship means to both boys. Another thing will be revealed over the course of the 26 drabbles, but I'm not spoiling what it is.

 **Challenges** : Alphabet Prompts #1: aurora and Indigo League challenge (on the PFC) for the Viridian Forest drabble collection, including the prompts "autumn, winter, spring & summer".


	2. Summer

Three months later, the two boys had just finished a training session with their partnersand they were pleased with the results. Silver's Pokémon were congratulating Houndoom on evolving from the intense training.

The clouds were dark grey and it looked like it was going to rain heavily soon. Silver returned the newest addition to his team after patting the loyal canine on the head, just behind the horns. He smiled at his partner's reaction and placed the Poké Ball on his belt. He suggested to Alain they seek shelter at the nearest Centre.

It was a good idea. Alain agreed, so they hurried back to the one they saw in the City they'd been in earlier.

Silver was only a little bit wet by the time they arrived at the Pokémon Centre; he had insisted Alain go in front of him so his older travelling companion wouldn't get soaked. Alain tried to protect Silver, but Silver politely brushed off his attempt to keep him warm. The redhead smiled and said he would take a shower to warm himself up, asking Alain to book a room for the two of them.

The older boy had to sigh in defeat. _Silver_. He smiled, though.

Silver was in the public showers a few minutes later and loved the blood red colour the room was painted in. As he stood under the warm water, he reflected on the journey so far. Their travels had led them to Vermillion where they had met Surge.

They hadn't yet battled him for the Thunder Badge, but they had every intention of doing so… and winning. For now, Silver enjoyed the warmth of the water as he washed himself free of the sweat that had run down his body in rivers from the training they'd done.

* * *

 **Challenges** : Alphabet Prompts #2: battalion.


	3. Fall

Silver and Alain had already visited the Safari Zone in Fuchsia City and were awestruck by all of the exotic and native Pokémon. They had explored the rest of the city as well, before deciding to challenge the Gym Leader, Koga.

Silver's Glaceon and Tyrantrum had easily defeated him.

Now it was Alain's turn to battle Koga, but he became nervous when the Gym Leader announced he would not hold back this time. It was a double battle, so the teen sent out his Charmeleon and Gabite against Koga's Venomoth and Weezing.

Neon green and bright red surged forward from Gabite and Charmeleon as they released their Dragon Tail and Flamethrower moves. Venomoth and Weezing countered with the pale blue and purple of Psychic and Smog respectively.

Silver watched as his friend continued to battle, getting a sinking feeling Alain would lose when Venomoth finished Gabite with its Venoshock. For a moment, when the odds were against Charmeleon, Silver became overjoyed when the fire lizard overcame his limits and evolved into Charizard. But the redhead's face fell seconds later, when not even evolution could save him and Charizard fainted from a well placed Poison Fang from Venomoth.

Alain cried.

Silver walked to his friend's aid as Alain sagged into the sofa in the Centre after he had handed Nurse Joy his partners for healing.

"… I lost… How could I lose?" He heard Alain muttering as he sat beside him. His own partners could wait a little for now.

Silver rubbed his friend's back in an attempt to reassure and calm him. "Alain," he murmured low enough for Alain to hear him. "It's okay you lost. I know it wasn't what you wanted, but Koga did allow you to rematch him. And hey, I'll probably lose the next battle."

* * *

 **A/N** : It hurt so much for me to make Alain lose. I almost cried myself. And Silver will lose a Gym battle, but it won't be the very next one like he thinks.

 **Challenges** : Alphabet Prompts #3: crevice.


	4. Winter

Three months later and white flakes were starting to fall. The sky was overcast with grey clouds and two boys hastened to put warm coats on as the wind picked up. The air was icy and Silver and Alain shivered, waiting for their body heat to kick in.

They were on their way to defeat the final Gym Leader of the region, the infamous Giovanni of Team Rocket. Silver wasn't looking forward to the encounter, not wanting to be seen in the same vicinity as his criminal father.

He had only just beaten Blaine. A very narrow win indeed.

Silver had lost the first time he challenged Blaine, so he elected to train his partners for a week to help them grow even stronger. When he rechallenged the fiery Leader, Silver felt he was more than ready for that deceptively tough Magmar of his.

But it was still close.

They had just left Pallet Town, after having a conversation with Professor Oak, who was their sponsor. He was pleased with their progress and Silver admitted to himself he felt like preening from the researcher's praise.

But there was still a way to go. Silver knew it wouldn't be easy.

As the pair travelled Route One again, Silver thought if they talked to each other, it'd make the journey much faster. "What are you looking forward to the most when this is over?" He asked Alain, his breathes white puffs.

"A long rest," came Alain's breathless laugh. Silver chuckled too.

"Who... do you think will be Champion out of the two of us?" Silver's question was hesitant, as if he didn't want to think about it until it actually happened. The redhead glanced at his companion for his answer.

Alain took his time answering. "I think it will be you."

* * *

 **A/N** : The two friends are almost at the end of their journey. Who will come out on top at the Indigo League?

 **Challenges** : Alphabet Prompts #4: dominion.


	5. Twelve Months

The Indigo League had been and gone. It was spring again. And Silver was the Champion, just like Alain had predicted. So why wasn't Silver at the Indigo Plateau right now? Because the boys had had a disagreement and Silver was hurrying to see Alain before he left him forever.

Silver cursed himself as he hurried down the docking bay. Alain may have started the dispute, but he had said something hurtful back. He regretted it every single second that he couldn't explain himself to the other boy. _Alain, I'm so, so sorry! Please, I hope you can forgive me_.

It was a clear blue sky, but Silver felt so miserable it was like it was grey and raining. Alain was his best friend and they had only gotten closer whilst on their journey together. He didn't want to lose their friendship because of some stupid comment. _Oh please..._

"Alain!" Silver shouted upon seeing his travel companion, bag in hand and ready to board the ship. _Where was he planning to go?_ Silver wondered. He didn't have any family and Professor Sycamore was only his mentor.

The older boy turned and frowned at him. "What are you doing here?"

Silver doubled over, panting for a few moments. For the youngest ever Champion, he would have to improve his fitness. "I came to talk to you, Alain. Please-"

"Why should I talk to you?" Alain hissed back, hurt still raw in narrowed eyes.

Silver tried again. "Please, Alain. I'm sorry."

He wasn't used to pleading for someone to hear him out, but resorted to kneeling. "I am so sorry for saying that. I didn't mean it. Please... _forgive me_." The last two words were whispered, but Alain still heard them.

He sighed and rolled his eyes. "Get up. I'll listen."

* * *

 **A/N** : What exactly did they fight about and where was Alain heading? The answers to these questions and more will be revealed gradually.

 **Challenges** : Alphabet Prompts #5: embalm.


	6. Friends Again

" _You don't exactly have any parents! You're under the wardship of the Elite Four!" Alain's voice rose and, for a brief second, he wondered why he started this fight_.

 _Silver's eyes narrowed angrily and he whirled to face his travel companion. "Neither do you; the Professor is only your mentor! Or is he your father and you don't realize it?!_ "

 _Alain froze as if he'd been slapped, before stiffening and marching up to Silver, his mind blank with rage. He struck the younger boy across the face and held his t-shirt collar with the other hand. "Don't. You. Bloody. Dare!_ "

* * *

"I apologize for starting the fight, Silver." Alain admitted to feeling miserable from the moment he spoke the words.

Silver spared a glance at his friend, seeing the guilt in his expression. "I'm sorry, too. I didn't mean to insinuate what I did."

"Friends?" They asked in unison, laughing. They hugged each other tightly, relieved to have the other's camaraderie once more. Their Pokémon were glad the bitter spat was over with as well and they reunited in their own way.

After a long silence following their peaceful meeting, Silver finally asked a question that had been bothering him. "Why were you going back?" He felt he had the right to know, but also wouldn't push it if Alain didn't want to talk about it.

Alain had been expecting that question to pop up eventually. It wasn't that he wouldn't talk about it; it was more a private issue. But if he wanted Silver's friendship and they be loyal to each other, then it wouldn't hurt. "I was going back to see how Kalos ran without a Team that had been there since before my birth."

"Someone wiped them out?" Silver inquired.

Alain nodded. "Something like that, Silver, yeah."

* * *

 **A/N** : The big apology and a big reveal. More on the big reveal will be released bit by bit, but not necessarily every chapter.

 **Challenges** : Alphabet Prompts #6: fidelity.


	7. Bound for a New Region

The two friends finally got on the ship that was bound for Kalos, after Silver paid extra upfront so he could room with Alain. He grimaced and bowed his head slightly when the registrar tutted and shook a finger at him.

"Next time, book in advance. The ship is about to leave."

"I'm very sorry, sir." Silver kept it at that. Despite people knowing he was the newest and youngest Champion, he tried his best to downplay his elevated status. He didn't want people thinking he was arrogant, which he would never be. It was best to be cautious, though.

Hurrying up the walk-way and making their way to Alain's room, Silver was stunned by how huge the ship was. It had tonnes of stuff to do; there was a pool, a children's area, even an area for the adults.

"Wow." Silver was envious Alain could pay for this.

Alain smirked, as if he was reading his best friend's thoughts. "Perks of the job," he laughed. "Sycamore's not only my mentor; I'm able to have all travel expenses to other regions and back paid by him."

Silver's eyes widened in amazement and a "Cool" came from his mouth.

"Indeed."

Silver could feel some of his partners' balls wiggling and he could tell they wanted to see what was so exciting. Fortunately, Alain made the suggestion first.

"Let's head to my room and you can let Glaceon and Houndoom out."

The redhead nodded and followed his older friend to 36A. Alain fished the key out of his pocket and opened the door. They placed their bags beside the double bed and studied the ensuite.

It was a massive room, bigger than his room at Oak's had been. Silver was blown away at how comfortable the bed was. He loved this.

* * *

 **A/N** : The journey to a new region begins. What will the friends get up to whilst they're over in Kalos? Find out in the next chapter.

 **Challenges** : Alphabet Prompts #7: galvanic.


	8. Interest From Another

Hours later, the ship pulled into Anistar City and the passengers filed out. Silver kept glancing around as he walked down the ramp to reach ground level. This city… no, this region, was amazing. He couldn't believe its beauty. It really was a stunning place.

Alain smirked at him. "Did you want to explore or go straight to the Gym in Santalune?"

Taking only a moment to stare at the Dial, Silver returned his focus to his best friend. "How about both, Alain? We could explore first and then make our way to Santalune, after we're done with Anistar."

"Sounds great." Alain smiled as they strolled casually through the streets of Anistar City, browsing the different shops and stalls.

The food they tried at one particular cafe was the best Silver had tasted anywhere. He was so impressed he gave the waitress a good tip of a few dollars.

Surprised, she exclaimed: "Thank you…?"

Silver chuckled, realizing no one over here would know of his status in Kanto. "Silver's the name, miss. Please downplay my position as youngest ever Champion."

Alain waited until the waitress turned away with her tip and stuck his tongue out at his silly friend. "What was that for?" The mussy-haired child teased playfully. "Do you like her all of a sudden?"

Silver scoffed in amusement. "Hardly," he hissed under his breath. "Was just passing on my name to make her job easier."

In honest truth, he did find the girl a little bit attractive. But he certainly wasn't going to admit that to Alain. He knew the Titan would be all over him in a second, seeking information, wanting to know if he was alright.

Silver didn't think he could handle the intense feelings the Dragon master had for him. Were they genuinely friends?


	9. Doubt

Or… he didn't dare think it… was his friendship with Alain becoming something more? Silver dreaded the possibility of them being more than friends. He didn't want to be Alain's boyfriend; he was only eleven, while Alain was nearly thirteen. They were both still way too young for that.

As they headed to Santalune on a borrowed Flying Pokémon, the doubt in Silver's mind continued to grow. Alain seemed to notice that his friend was quieter than usual.

"Are you okay, Silver?" The Indigo League runner-up murmured. He'd sensed something was off with Silver back in Anistar. _He_ _'_ _s worried_ _…_ _?_ What was he concerned about? Alain wondered, realizing he was in the dark for once. He also knew he didn't like this feeling, but couldn't do anything about it if Silver wasn't ready to talk to him and get help.

"… I'm fine, Alain. Thanks for caring."

"Why wouldn't I?" Silver's response threw the Titan for a loop, but he decided to step back mentally and see where he might have gone wrong. Analyzing their conversations in his head, Alain's eyes widened when he realized exactly what words he'd said and the double meaning they had.

Didn't take a genius.

 _Damn it!_ Alain cursed in his head. He had been so stupid, flirting with Silver like that, even though he hadn't realized it at the time. He searched for a way to fix this, slowly realizing he would have to apologize to Silver… yet again. _The world must hate me_.

Before he had a chance to, however, Silver spoke in a hushed tone. "… Are we just friends, Alain? Y-You don't like me as more than a friend, do you?"

He was dreading hearing Alain's reply and half wanted to ignore him.

Alain's eyes narrowed in determination. He'd fix this.


	10. Forgiven Again

"Silver… I flirted with you… I honestly didn't mean it." This was breaking Alain's resolve to say this, but he had to fix what was wrong. "Our ages… were the furthest thing from my mind when that came out of my mouth..."

Alain's eyes closed and he glanced away. He understood if Silver wanted nothing to do with him after this but, at the same time, the Titan hoped his words wouldn't cause another fallout between them.

Oh Arceus, why was he always sticking his foot in his mouth and saying things unintentionally? Had he been cursed at birth?

"Silver, please..." The Flying type jolted the boys as it landed. "… Forgive me. I promise I won't say anything like that again."

The boys got off of the bird Pokémon and it immediately took off back for Anistar. Alain's gaze was downcast, his eyes hidden by his dark bangs. Silver hadn't moved from where he stood after getting off the Flying type, but he slowly turned his head and looked at Alain. It wasn't in him to hold a grudge over his friend for this and he heard the genuine regret in Alain's words.

"It's alright now. You're forgiven."

Alain didn't want to believe his ears, but chanced a look at Silver. The red-haired boy was walking over to him, arms out ready for a hug.

Silver was… forgiving him? _This wasn't a trick, was it?_ Alain bit the side of his mouth to make sure. _That definitely hurt_.

Silver chuckled. "That was silly, wasn't it, Alain?" The Champion asked of his best friend, willing to put the event behind him. He hugged the Dragon master tightly, wishing that they would never have another incident like this again.

As Silver finally released him from the hug, Alain nodded, agreeing.


	11. Undercover Info

Since they were now in Santalune, thanks to the Flying type, the boys gathered themselves and studied their surroundings. The city was plain-looking, but still had flair.

Silver's eyes zeroed in on the Gym immediately and excitedly glanced at Alain, who raised an eyebrow. Nodding his head, he smiled.

"Go for it." Alain encouraged his friend, making sure to analyze his words before he spoke them so he didn't mess up again. "I'll battle Viola after you."

The Titan was content to hang around the city and explore the various shops while Silver was battling against the Gym Leader.

As Silver entered the Gym, ready to obtain victory, Alain observed from a distance. He then turned and walked over to a shop owner, prepared to do a bargain with him. Alain was lucky the owner remembered him and gave him the very important information he wanted free of charge.

"It's been a while since you were last here, Titan." The owner had a little dig at Alain, grinning cheekily all the while. "Did you forget where your loyalties lie?"

Alain laughed. "No, sir. Just had to take care of League business in Kanto with my best friend. I'm sorry."

The shop owner waved away the boy's apology. "Think nothing of it, lad. I'll always be here to give you the information you need."

Alain hesitated for a moment, before gathering himself. "Do you know when they were beaten? And by whom?"

"It was when you were away, roughly in the last quarter of the year. The trainer didn't want to be named, something about preferring to stay anonymous." The man was now apologetic himself at being unable to provide his client with any further intelligence.

Alain frowned; there weren't many trainers who insisted on remaining anonymous after beating evil.


	12. Bug Badge Earned

The Titan thought for a moment, wondering if it had been the older trainer he'd known who had also worked for Sycamore. What was their name again? Selena, no, maybe Serena? Aarrgghh, he couldn't remember right now, so he shook his head to clear his thoughts.

 _What now, huh?_ Alain pondered as he turned away from the man and waited for Silver to emerge from the Gym. He checked his watch and wondered if he should be starting to worry – Silver was taking too long with his Gym battle.

Had something happened in there? Just then, Silver came out.

His hand held out proudly, the Bug Badge was being shown off. Silver was grinning widely and Alain couldn't help but smile himself. His concern had been for nothing; from what he could see, Silver had just taken his time with Viola, seemingly enjoying thrashing her every chance he could.

Viola emerged afterwards, a slight frown on her face, but it changed to a grin when she caught sight of Silver and Alain. Not even hesitating for a second, she made her way over to them, waving as she did so.

"Hey, you two." She called.

Alain nodded, Silver smirked. Viola continued, as if she hadn't of paused. "I wasn't expecting to be thrashed so soundly. You did well, Silver." She turned to Alain. "Did you want a Gym battle as well? You don't mind waiting until my friends are healed, do you?"

Alain shook his head. "I don't mind, Viola."

The young Leader breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks, that means a lot. Silver did some hefty damage and these were my Elite level partners."

Alain ogled Silver, unable to believe what he was hearing. Elite level Pokémon put out of commission briefly by a Champion? That was new.


	13. Mental Concern

While Alain waited for Viola's Pokémon to heal, he sat with Silver in the waiting room of the Pokémon Centre and chatted, laughing whilst doing so.

"You really did a number on Viola's partners. Were you having too much fun in there?" The Dragon Master joked with his friend.

Silver merely smiled, before frowning as he turned away. He was actually worried about the state of the Leader's Pokémon; had he done too much damage and one of them was critically injured? The Magus kept fretting about Viola's partners and nearly jumped out of his skin at the buzzer.

The sound of the emergency room's buzzer going off made Silver panic. Had one of Viola's partners been unable to be saved? Questions like that kept repeating in his head until Nurse Joy came out of ER, a weary look on her face.

"I know you're the Champion of Kanto, Silver, but please tone back your Pokémon's attacks from now on." Joy began scolding the young boy. She was exhausted from having to work on the lead Pokémon more than the others.

Scyther's leg had been broken by Houndoom's fangs and it had taken a Full Restore to fix it.

"I-Is Scyther okay, Nurse Joy?" Silver stammered, his anxiety making him nervous. He wasn't normally the stammering type, but he couldn't help it in this case. Fortunately, luck was with him today.

Joy nodded. "You're very lucky, young Champion. Scyther only had a broken leg." She smiled at him pleasantly.

Silver slouched against the sofa, relieved to hear the news. He hadn't wanted a Pokémon to die because of him. In fact, he wouldn't wish that on any Pokémon. The Magus was happy Scyther would recover, so he struggled out of the sofa and went to meet Viola to apologize.


	14. A New Experience

Silver made his way over to the Volucris Tamer, who looked relieved to hear her partner was going to make a full recovery. Still, the Magus felt he should apologize to her.

"I'm so sorry, Viola. I don't know what came over Houndoom. He's never acted like that before."

The Bug type Gym Leader smiled. "Do not worry about it anymore, Silver. Scyther is fine; that's all that matters."

Just by looking at her, Silver could see she was not concerned for her Pokémon anymore either. Silver sighed heavily; acknowledging that being a Champion was harder than it looked.

Glancing over at Alain and seeing his Poké Ball hand twitching, Silver realized what he wanted.

"Viola, do you have a spare Bug to battle Alain with? I think he wants to get going." Silver turned to the Leader and explained the situation.

Viola looked for herself and then nodded. "I have one in particular that can handle a Dragon of his. I will retrieve her." Viola walked away from Silver as the Magus went over to Alain. He placed a hand on the Titan's shoulder, trying to settle his edginess.

"Chill, Alain. You'll get your battle. Just be calm."

A few moments later, Viola came back out with a Larvesta on her shoulder. Silver nudged his friend, prompting him to look up and gape in surprise.

"A L-Larvesta?" The Titan faltered with his words. Silver smiled faintly beside him; now it was Alain's turn to stammer. _Was this fate?_

Viola smiled through Alain's surprise. "Yes. She's one of my strongest, but she hasn't evolved yet. I feel like she's close, though."

Silver continued glancing between Alain and Viola, amused by the conversation and the reactions. The Magus noticed Alain's twitching had ceased. _Perhaps this battle with Larvesta is vital_.


	15. A Thrown Battle

Silver followed Viola and Alain to the training field out the back of the Centre and sat on the bench seat as each combatant faced off against each other on opposite sides of the field. Silver waited on Alain to choose which partner he would send into the battle.

Viola and her Larvesta may have been ready to fight, but nothing could prepare them for the emergence of Alain's Tyrantrum, Silver noticed. The redhead chuckled slightly at that; the rocky dragon had always been a powerhouse and a half. Silver briefly wondered how long the battle would be now.

Alain pointed forward with an arm. "Go! Use Earthquake!" Tyrantrum stomped down with a massive foot, causing the ground to surge up and out as the shockwave of energy shot towards Larvesta.

"Bear with it, Larvesta, and counter with Zen Headbutt!" Viola commanded, eyes narrowing. Alain's beast was clearly experienced.

Larvesta's head lowered slightly as psychic energy formed at her forehead, but she raised her head again and lunged at Tyrantrum. The damage she had received from the ground move was normal. Knowing his partner was too slow to dodge, Alain thought of a swift counterstrike.

"Head Smash half way!"

Silver watched with keen interest as Tyrantrum surged forward, his own head glowing white with energy. The two fighting Pokémon hit head on, the explosion from the two attacks massive. Smoke billowed everywhere, but slowly started clearing.

Silver leaned forward on the seat, his eyes widening at what he saw.

Tyrantrum had barely broken a sweat, but Larvesta had finally evolved, it seemed. Volcarona collapsed in the next moment or two, signalling the end of the match.

"!" Silver narrowed his eyes, suspicious at the behaviour of the pseudo-Legendary. Creatures in their league were supposed to beat hard to beat.


	16. Broken Trust

"What the hell was that?!" Alain shouted, realizing his battle had been thrown.

Silver noted the fury in his expression and pursed his lips. So Alain had sensed it as well. Silver turned to face Viola, unimpressed with her performance, as they approached the bleachers.

"Explain yourself. _Now_ , Volucris." Alain was pissed off. He was seething so much Tyrantrum moved away from him out of distrust, the rocky dragon rumbling a warning in his throat.

Silver heard the warning and saw how Tyrantrum had left Alain's side. His eyes widened as he remembered what Lance had told him before.

" _If a Titan ever loses control of their emotions, their Dragons will distrust them. It takes a lot for a Dragon to trust their master again_."

Silver acted without hesitation. "Alain, that's enough! Look at what you're doing! Tyrantrum is losing his trust in you." _Do you really want that?_ The unspoken question hung between them like a knife poised to be thrown.

Alain stopped for a minute and glanced over at his partner. The fossil Pokémon snorted in disdain and pointedly looked away from his trainer. "..." Taking a moment to calm himself, Alain lowered his head to reflect.

Was it too late for him to patch things up with Tyrantrum? For Alain's sake, Silver hoped it wasn't. But one could never tell with Dragons; they were finicky creatures, after all. Once trust started decaying between a Dragon and a Titan, it was hard to restore.

Lance was evidence enough of that. His very first Gyarados nearly killed him in its rage and that was putting aside its already vicious personality. The Kanto-based Titan was lucky his other Dragons fully trusted him. As for the Gyarados, it was released where it lived when the lack of trust broke Lance.


	17. Ultimate Sin

While Alain worked on a plan to regain Tyrantrum's trust, Silver accepted his friend's Badge from Viola. He was still perplexed as to why Larvesta had thrown the battle after evolving.

"I apologize on Alain's behalf," Silver began, knowing what it felt like to be cheated of a win.

Viola shook her head to try and reassure him. "No, don't be sorry, Silver. Alain has every right to be frustrated. I have a theory, so it may not satisfy him or earn him Tyrantrum's trust." She paused and held her chin with one hand. "She felt Tyrantrum's inner strength."

Silver's eyes widened in slight surprise. "That was the reason Volcarona threw the match?" He wasn't really hearing this. To a Titan, that was the ultimate sin. He became worried for Alain; how would his friend cope once he'd heard this news?

"I am… vaguely aware it's an ultimate sin." Viola clarified, admitting to some awareness of Titan customs and beliefs.

Silver wasn't sure what else she knew but, if she was admitting to this little knowledge, then not much at all. Granted, he didn't know anything past what she knew and he was a Magus. That was saying something.

"Once he discovers this for himself, he's gonna be even more frustrated." Silver remarked, deciding to remove himself from harm's way for when that did happen. He glanced down at the Badge and looked up to thank Viola once again. "I'll be heading out. Tell Alain I'm at the Centre."

Viola nodded. "I will do that. Thanks for our time battling, Silver. It was a great battle." She watched as Alain tried to tame Tyrantrum a second time and sighed when the boy's efforts were met with the dinosaur's tail pushing his master away.

"Maybe try again later, Alain? Yeah?"


	18. Down Time

When Alain realized Tyrantrum wouldn't acknowledge him until he repaired the trust the Dragon had in him, he sighed and recalled his rocky beast. He dejectedly made his way to the entrance of the Gym, waving farewell to Viola as he did so.

"Good luck." She called, feeling bad. He merely jerked his head in confirmation.

* * *

Silver was relaxing on the sofa in his room when a knock came at his door. He put the book down he was reading, but didn't quite get up yet. "Is that you, Alain?" The young Champion called.

"Silver, please let me in."

Silver got to his feet immediately and hurried over to the door, letting Alain inside his room. It had been a long day for both boys, but Alain seemed to be the more worn out one.

"I'm gonna crash on the sofa," Alain stated, heading for the fold out bed.

Yes, the sofa doubled as a fold out bed. Silver had discovered this by accident when they first arrived. He'd been testing the sofa, since Nurse Joy had told them of its capabilities. An 'eep!' slipped out of his mouth when the sofa burst out into a bed.

" _So cool!_ " Were the first words out of his mouth when he saw the function with his own eyes. He'd wanted to be the first one to sleep on it, but he wasn't going to deny Alain a chance at it, either.

"Sure, that's fine." Silver smiled, getting into his special pyjamas.

Silver turned off the bedside light and blackness enveloped the room. Settling into the comfy sheets, Silver closed his eyes and focused on clearing his mind. Soon, he was asleep. He dreamed that more battles lay ahead for the pair of them, some tougher than others.

Would they finally succeed?

* * *

1\. So this fic is nearly complete. Only 8 chapters left, so it should be obvious by now the boys aren't gonna get all the Kalos League Badges. With that said, there will be another fic that stars them, but I'm not sure when it'll be.

2\. Because there's only 8 chapters left, I'll be doing 2 a week from now on.


	19. Return to Form (hopefully)

The next morning came with the first rays of sunshine peeking through the hastily shut curtains. Alain moaned as the light hit his eyes and began to slowly get up off of the sofa bed. He cast his eyes over the Poké Balls that rested on the side table.

"I'd like to train you again, Tyrantrum, but I need you to listen to me. I'm sorry I lost control of my emotions. I'm sorry I made you distrust me. But… I think I've calmed down enough to be in full control again. I really miss our partnership, old buddy."

A movement from behind the League runner up made him jump with a small shout of surprise. Alain turned around and saw Silver holding out a breakfast plate for him. "Holy crap, Silver. You're so quiet. You're gonna be the end of me one day, I'm sure of it. Thanks."

Silver merely laughed as his friend accepted the plate of sausages and bacon, before they both sat down at the table. "Did you sleep okay?" Silver asked Alain. The Champion got a good look at his travelling companion and mentally winced. It seemed as though Alain had a horrible night.

"It was an alright night. I kept flashing back to Tyrantrum disobeying me. I was tossing and turning." Alain admitted, staring at the plate while he ate. For a good few minutes, he was silent. "I have never had a Pokémon ignore me or even lose control like I did."

Silver didn't want to say the words 'there's a first time for everything', but he was certainly thinking them. "But you're better now, right? You've calmed down? Tyrantrum will be able to see that and will start listening again, won't he?"

Alain was grateful Silver was naive. "I'm not sure."


	20. A New Plan of Attack

After another few minutes, Alain was finished his meal and handed the plate back to Silver. Silver stood up and took it to the sink, washing it up. The young boy was silent for a bit, contemplating what they would do since finishing their Badge quest was impossible now.

Regardless of what he thought, he knew it was vital for Alain to regain Tyrantrum's trust as a Dragon Tamer. Because if he wasn't able to battle with the rocky dragon by his side again, he would have trouble continuing his dream of wanting to be a true Dragon Master.

Silver finished washing the dishes and set them on the rack to dry. He would put them away later. For a few moments longer, he thought on what he could do, before he turned to face Alain. It looked like he was struggling, having realized the enormity of his task.

"I could help you with Tyrantrum, if you needed assistance, Alain?" The young Champion offered. He didn't want his friend to suffer like he was. His bond with the fossil creature was obviously tight, so it must have been hard for him to accept he lost control of his emotions.

Alain thought on Silver's offer for a moment and then nodded. "That sounds like it might work. Thanks, Silver."

While it was true that Alain was his own person, he also couldn't have made it this far if his Pokémon didn't appreciate the extra care Silver gave each of them.

Knowing what Alain was hinting at, Silver laughed softly. "Your partners? Yeah, they do love the extra care I give them, don't they?" He paused, taking in this rare moment of their bond of friendship. "Let's go to the training field. Sitting here won't really solve anything now, will it?"


	21. Trusting Once More

When they had arrived on the training field out the back of the Centre, Silver asked for Alain to hand him the ball containing Tyrantrum. The young boy had a plan in mind that involved his best friend not being in the dinosaur's line of sight.

"Hope this works."

Silver smiled at Alain as the slightly older boy disappeared around the corner. "It will, Alain. It will. I'm sure of it." With Alain around the corner and out of sight, Silver enlarged the Poké Ball and released the rocky beast. Once Tyrantrum had materialized, he sniffed and glanced around.

Silver held out a hand, prompting Tyrantrum to lean into the touch, recognizing that the boy was Silver. "Hey Tyrantrum. How is it going?" He asked the dinosaur. When the creature rumbled an answer, Silver laughed softly, rubbing the Pokémon's nose. "It's all good. He didn't mean to, you know?"

The fossil creature grumbled under his breath and jerked in surprise when Silver lightly hit him. "Don't be like that, buddy. It's not Alain's fault, really. He wasn't expecting Viola to throw the match like she did. He's been down ever since then and we haven't left Santalune yet, so..."

Tyrantrum rumbled what sounded like a question to Silver and he rubbed the beast's nose again. Looking into the Pokémon's eyes, the boy nodded. "Yeah. He's blaming himself because he thinks you don't want to be his partner any more. But I figured that it couldn't possibly be the case."

Alarmed by this news, Tyrantrum shook his head and made a short, sharp rumble. "I know," Silver answered. He got to his feet at this point and stroked the side of the Pokémon's jaw. "You should tell him that yourself." The dinosaur made a questioning noise. "Alain, you can come."


	22. Whole

Alain came out from behind the corner of the Centre and Tyrantrum stared at his trainer. Their gazes remained locked as Alain stepped closer. Thankfully, the fossil Pokémon didn't move away, but stayed where he was. Silver watched as his friend approached Tyrantrum, holding a hand out to him.

"It's alright, you two." Silver reassured the pair, as he observed the two not really moving after Alain stopped before reaching his partner.

Alain swallowed, trying to be casual. "Are you sure about this, Silver?" He was worried that Tyrantrum would still dislike him and didn't want that at all.

Silver nodded, glancing in Alain's direction. "Yeah. It'll be fine. You just need to reconnect with Tyrantrum and he'll see you've calmed down." The young Champion really wasn't as concerned as Alain was hoping him to be. Silver was calm and collected while he watched the two become friends again.

Alain took a step forward and reached out with his hand once more. His partner never moved, which caused him to smile a little. The black-haired boy sighed in relief and slowly began patting the dinosaur's rocky snout. "Hey buddy. I'm really sorry about that. I didn't mean it, honestly."

Tyrantrum rumbled lowly and bumped his snout against his trainer's hand, wanting him to pat in longer strokes.

Alain couldn't help but burst out laughing at this. He made a noise of acknowledgement and did what the dinosaur wanted. "What do you say we start afresh, hey buddy? Sound good?"

Silver watched from where he stood, having taken steps back from the pair as they reconnected, a huge smile on his face. He had done his job: trainer and Pokémon were friends once again. And now they could proceed with the rest of their Badge-earning after being taken off guard.


	23. Alain's Pokémon Talk

Alain let the rest of his Pokémon out and they seemed happy to play with him. They had picked up on Alain's state of mind and had wanted to help him, but he had politely refused their offers. They wanted to know why, but Alain didn't explain his reasons.

"Alain," Silver piped up from his spot where he was watching. Alain faced his travelling companion. "Give them a chance. Explain to them what happened. They won't understand your feelings unless you do."

"..." Alain hesitated. "Why, Silver? I don't want them to get mad. What happened is past now."

Silver shook his head no, wanting to get Alain to understand. "Our Pokémon are our families while we're away from our parents, Alain. They'd understand if you explained the situation to them, trust me. My own partners understand many things in my life." _They even heard that you accused me_ , the unspoken words lingered unsaid, but Alain realized the implications.

He sighed in defeat and nodded reluctantly. "Alright, Silver. You win." Turning to his partners, his "family" according to his friend, the older boy described what Viola had done in his match with her that had made him feel down.

His Pokémon were shocked that a Gym Leader would deliberately throw the match and started communicating with each other. Alain fast became lost, as he had trouble understanding what they were saying, so he glanced at Silver. "You're the Pokémon whisperer." He laughed. "Can you tell me what they're saying?"

Silver listened to the creatures for a moment or two, before he turned back to Alain. "They're saying they felt you had every right to get mad. Tyrantrum apologized again because he hadn't understood at the time that that was why your emotions were out of whack. That's about it."


	24. The Path Continues

With Alain and his partners on friendly terms again, the group bond was restored. Alain, however, felt guilty that he'd had to call upon Silver's skills to be able to reconcile with Tyrantrum.

Silver waved him off, smiling. "Don't worry about it, Alain. It's fine, okay? I don't mind."

Silver didn't mind helping his friend at all, but Alain's supposed guilt that he was using him was wearing him down. He didn't want his friend to feel like that, so the young Champion pondered on a way to cheer Alain up somehow. After a few moments, he found it.

He had to be careful about how he said it, though. "I was thinking we could go celebrate at the cafe, Alain. It'll be a good way to relax." Silver stood up and recalled the lone partner who had come out of their ball by themselves. "Come on, it's fun."

Alain glanced at his friend oddly, wondering if something was wrong with him. "Silver… Are you okay? Why would we need to celebrate anything? We haven't battled for a few days now."

Silver grinned. "There's nothing wrong with me." He pocketed the ball and walked towards Alain, grabbing his hand. "Let's go." The Champion wasn't going to take no for an answer and dragged Alain forward, figuring he would try to dig his heels in and resist. Silver was mildly surprised when his friend didn't resist, but that started alarm bells ringing. Was Alain planning anything, to refuse his gift later on?

"..." Alain sighed, not having the energy to fight against Silver's plan. He just wanted to rest after reconnecting with his Pokémon. The boy was still tired from feeling down. The slightly older boy wasn't even sure why Silver was so eager for them to celebrate. Celebrate what?


	25. Final Hours in Santalune

When they arrived at the cafe, Silver got Alain to seat himself and he went to place their order. He glanced around the shop, taking it in one final time before they moved on. Waiting for the barista to make their milkshakes and toasted sandwiches, Silver felt sad leaving Santalune.

Once the tray was handed to him that had their meals on it, he walked back to their table and placed the tray down. Seating himself, he grabbed his milkshake and sipped it, watching Alain getting stuck into his sandwich.

"This is our last meal in Santalune, hey Alain?"

Alain didn't reply straight away, instead enjoying his food. Eventually, he answered. "Yeah… Silver, I'm sorry for sounding down before. I don't mean to-"

"Hey, it's okay." Silver interrupted his friend, waving a hand in a brief motion. He didn't want Alain to keep feeling bad. "Just enjoy please, okay?"

Silver started to think that maybe Alain wouldn't recover from his slump as quickly as he would have hoped. _There's nothing more I can do_ , the boy thought as he continued consuming his milkshake. _I've tried the only trick I could think of_. He started on his sandwich, still thinking.

Silver was still silent minutes later. Alain had to touch his friend on the arm to get his attention. "Sorry." The boy commented, blinking, eyes narrowing in concentration. He glanced up and saw that Alain was ready to leave. "… Okay. I'll pay, since it was my treat."

"Oh, alright." Alain was a little surprised, but remembered it had been his friend's idea to try and cheer him up. Though, it hadn't really worked, had it? Alain was still down and it looked like Silver was still trying to figure out how to impress him. "I didn't mean to, Silver."


	26. To be continued

Silver shook his head and got up. "It's okay. I'll be a couple of minutes." He went over to the counter to pay for their meals. Reaching into his wallet, he placed the correct amount of change on the counter so the barista could see it. "Thanks, it was nice."

The barista counted the money to be sure and placed it in the till. "You're welcome. Have a nice day." They then went to serve someone else and Silver walked back to the table where Alain waited for him.

"Are you ready to go, Alain?" Silver asked his friend.

Alain nodded. "Yeah, let's go." The older boy got up and followed Silver out of the cafe, where they lingered in front of the shop for a moment. "What's the plan?"

Silver explained that they were going to continue their Badge earning quest, but would take it slower this time. They were going to enjoy the sights Kalos offered and interact more with the locals and their Pokémon. It seemed to be a region to be enjoyed, after all. So why not take it more slowly and have fun while they were at it?

Silver smiled. "Does that sound okay?"

"Sounds alright to me. Where do we go from here?" Alain asked, looking unsure of himself, which puzzled Silver.

"..." Silver hesitated, before he spoke. "You're from here. What was the second Gym?"

Alain's eyes widened in realization. "Oh, right!" He laughed, feeling silly that he'd forgotten something so important. "It's the Cyllage Gym, led by Grant. He owns the Cliff Badge." The boy face-palmed himself. _Duh, Alain. How could you forget the Kalos Gyms and their Leaders? Real stupid_. "Sorry about that, Silver. I'd been in Kanto too long and nearly forgot the symbols of my own region. Heh..."

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 **There will be a sequel, featuring the boys and the rest of their run in Kalos. But at the moment, I am not sure when that will be written, much less posted. Thank you all for your time and I hope you've enjoyed this as much as I've liked writing these two**.


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